Improvement in water-wheels



taitel tetes. @stent @fitta- LKE W. 'BLOOD AND ROBERT A. BLOOD, lOF SPRINGFIELD, NEW HAMP- SHIRE.

Letters'Patent No. 69,169, dated September 24, 1867.

b IMPROVEMENT IN ltrarne-virilsuns.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that we, LUKE W. BLOOD and ROBERTA. BLOOD, both of Springfield', in the county of Sullivan, and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain Improvements in Water-Wheels, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in whichv v Figure 1 is a perspective View of improved water-wheel.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section through the same. Figure 3 is a. vertical section on the line y :Ib-iig. 1; and Figure 4 a det-ail to be referred to. i, V W Our invention consists in so forming the buckets of a-water-wheel, and so arranging them within it and with respect to the stream, that the greatest possible amount of its power is utilized, a swinging water-gauge being employed in connection therewith, by which means more vor less water may be used, according as it is desired to increase or reduce thc power of the wheel, the said buckets being provided with inclined ventholes to4 allow of the escape of the air therefrom.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use our invention, we will proceed to describe the manner in which we carry it cut.

In the said drawings, 1s the framework, insuitable bearings a b, iu which runs a vertical shaft, B, to which is secured, by splines e d, the ends or heads C D, forming the top and bottom of a circular horizontal water-wheel, thc two heads being properly'braced Vand secured together by bolts e. E are wooden or metal buckets or boxes, of a. star-pointed form, as seen in g. 2, which extend vertically between the heads, to which they are properly secured by grooves or otherwise, the two sidesfg of each bucket being fitted snugly together ito make a water-tight jointv at 5, and the `interior of the wheel, between the shaft and .the boxes, being made hollow for lightness and economy. The outer end of the sidcg of cach bucket is bent 'around to form a shoulder, or has. attached to it a short piece, it, which opens outward to allow the water, after striking the i bucket, to escape freely therefrom into the eduction-passages F G, on each side of the wheel. 'Through the heads of the wheel, at the top and bottom of each space, enclosed by the sides fg of a bucket, and near the vertex of the angle formed by .their intersections, is cut au inclined vent-hole, t', for the escape of the air contained in the water. H I are induction-passages, of thc form seen in fig. 2, being contracted in area from 6 to 7, as the water approaches the wheel. J K are gates or water-gauges, which command the inductionpassages and regulate the supply of water to the wheel. rEhe gauge J is hinged or pivoted at c to the side of the iiume, and swings freely thereon, opening and closing thc induction-passage and increasing or reducing the size of the stream, as required. Z is an arm or rod by which the gauge J is operated. From the point 7 to the point 8 the stream follows the curved side L of the passage, and is directed at the same moment upon three buckets, fig. 2, thc width of thcstream,and consequently its volume, decreasing from the first to the third bucket, and striking the sidcg of each at about the point 9, when, having imparted its inert-ia thereto, it is deflected or turned by the open forni of thc bucket, together with the centrifugal force of the wheel, outward r into the cduction-passuge. The vcnt-holcs are inclined iu the direction of the arrow I0, (see iig. 4,) which is .contrary to thc direction I] taken by the water in striking thc buckets, the degree of the inclination of the holes, in connection with their position, (inside tho point il, where the water strikes the buckets,)serving to n prevent in a great measure the passage of the water through them. Should, however, a sin-all portion of the water escape in this way, still its power will be utilized, owing to its rcactiouafter striking the buckets. The form anddiamctcr of the wheel-pit, from 8 to 13, exactly coincides with the outer periphery of the heads C D, in order that the full force of the water may be imparted to the buckets, after which it is free to pass out of the cductiou-passugc, the form of which, contiguous to .the wheel, is curved, as seen in fig. Q, to facilitate the discharge of the water and prevent any loss of power which would arise if the wheel were obstructed by it.

We do not coniine ourselves to the exact form andl position of the vent-holes, as 'they may be somewhat "aried without departing from the spirit of our invention. Instead of the shaft B being placed in a vertical I position, it may be horizontal, a suitable induction-passage being formed to suit the requirements of the case.

Claim.

What We claim :is our invention, and desire to secure'by Letters Patent as :in improvement in water- Whees, is-A The ster-pointed bucket E, fermd by the intersection of the siicsfg, as shown and described, in com- I binetion with the ai: or vent-holes@ the Whole constructed substantially as set forth.

We also claim, in combination with the above, the pieces z, substantially as and for the purpose set foi-tb.

LUKE W. BLOOD,

OBERT A. BLOOD. Witnesses:

WM. RUSSELL, JOHN S. 'WHIPPLEl 

